1795.] Jay's Treaty with England.

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viously been disavowed by a new Revolutionary Government in France, and Fauchet sent in his stead.

12. Before Congress re-assembled the so-called Whiskey Insurrection against the enforcement of the Excise Law had been suppressed. It had no political results, except as it strengthened Federalism, by strengthening popular sympathy with the Administration. It was also one cause of the downfall of the Democratic clubs, which Washington had publicly and officially, though perhaps mistakenly, declared to be the instigators of the Insurrection. They thus lost popularity, and the overthrow of Robespierre and the French Jacobin clubs was soon followed by the ignominous death of their American imitations.

His

13. Congress met November 3d, 1794. In JanIIId Congress, uary 1795, Hamilton felt com2d Session. pelled to leave the Cabinet, and resume the practice of law in New York. last official act was the arrangement of a plan of Internal Taxation, which was offered to Congress, and furnished material for debate throughout the Session. It was adopted against the opposition of most of the Republicans. Congress adjourned March 3d, 1795.

14. Jay had concluded a Treaty with England, which did not satisfy him, but was the best that he could procure. It reached America March 7th, and was sent to the Senate in Special Session

June 8th. It was ratified by the necessary two thirds majority, and only awaited the signature o the President to become law. Popular curiosity was stimulated by the secrecy of the debates When, on the 29th of June, a Senator in violation of his word gave a partial copy of Jay's Treaty for publication, and it was found that by its terms England was still at liberty to impress American seamen, to harass American commerce, and to shut it out from the West India trade, the wrath of the Republicans rose to fever heat, and Federalists could hardly contrive an apology for a surrender with which they also were generally dissatisfied. In all the large cities public meetings condemned the treaty, and called upon the President to withhold his signature.

15. But The President felt that a treaty of some kind was necessary, and that no better one could then be obtained. He therefore signed it. Hitherto criticisms on Washington's policy had not been uncommon, but his action in signing Jay's Treaty brought out aspersions upon his private character, which were carried so far that he declared "he would rather be in his grave than in the Presidency." He was charged by the extreme Republicans with usurpation, treason to his country, and hostility to her interests. The continued sufferings of American prisoners in Algiers were ascribed to his criminal indifference. He was accused of having shown incapacity during the Revolution, and

1796.]

Debates on Jay's Treaty.

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of having embezzled the public funds while President. He was threatened with impeachment, with assassination. Even the honored epithet so long given to him was burlesqued, and Washington was for a time known to the Republicans as "The StepFather of his Country." And yet, within a year, his unyielding common sense was justified by a revival of trade which gained friends for Jay's Treaty, even among its formerly bitter opponents.

16. Congress met December 7th, 1795, with a IVth Congress, small Federalist majority in Ist Session. the Senate, and a Republican majority in the House, though even there the Federalists succeeded in choosing Jonathan Dayton, of New Jersey, Speaker. The Senate, in reply to the President's Message, echoed his words, but the Republican majority in the House, in order to censure the President indirectly, voted down the first sentence of their committee's draft of a reply, including an expression of "their confidence in the President, and their approval of his course."

17. March 1st, 1796, the President sent to Congress a copy of his proclamation, announcing to the people that the treaty with England, having been ratified by the Senate and signed by the President, had become law. In the House this caused dissatisfaction, and, against the wishes of some of the moderate Republicans, a resolution was passed, March 2d, calling upon the President to send to the House all papers relating to Jay's Treaty. The

President refused to do so, giving as his reason that the House was not a part of the treaty-making power of the Government. The House retorted by another resolution declaring its right to decide on the necessity of any treaty by which public money was to be expended.

18. From the Federalist side of the House a resolution was then offered, declaring that provision ought to be made by law for carrying the treaty into effect. The Debate upon this resolution, in which Fisher Ames, of Massachusetts, led the Federalists, lasted until April 29th. By that time public opinion had pronounced in favor of the treaty too emphatically to be disregarded just before a Presidential election. The Republican majority yielded and the resolution was passed. The beginning and the end of the Session were taken up by debates upon the revenue, in which an increase of duties upon imports was urged by the Federalists, but successfully opposed by the Republicans. Congress adjourned June 1st, 1796. On that day Tennessee, formerly a part of North Carolina, became a State. of the Union.

19. During the Summer of 1796 preparations were begun, and electors were nominated for the Presidential election in November. Washington's hold was stronger upon the people than upon the politicians, and he was importuned to accept a third term of office. Electors nominated by both parties were called upon to promise that, if elected, their

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Presidential Election.

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first votes should be given for Washington. His decision to retire to private life could not be altered, but he decided to publish it in a form which should always remain as his answer to the attacks upon him, which had been made, to use his own words, "in terms so exaggerated and indecent as could scarcely be applied to a Nero, a notorious defaulter, or even to a common pickpocket."

20. Washington's Farewell Address to the American people is. dated September 17th, 1796. It consists of a modest estimate of his own services to the new Government, a congratulation that the circumstances which gave a temporary value to those services were past, an appeal to the people to preserve intact the unity of the Government, to put down party spirit, and to make religion, education, and public good faith the basis of government, and, lastly, a needed warning against the admission of any foreign influence upon American councils. It can hardly be read without renewing the conviction that George Washington was an unconscious but sincere Federalist, though hardly a fair critic of party spirit, a modest Christian, a devoted lover of country, and a great, unselfish man.

21. The Farewell Address was the preliminary to the first contested Presidential Election. The Constitution had fairly shown its merits. Its continued existence was assured, and there was no longer any necessity for keeping the political peace between the two great parties. No formal nomina